Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. Glengarry Flake

This blend would have been an excellent choice for seven-years-old girls, would they choose to smoke a pipe. For me, not so much. When I go for Lakeland Aromatics I go for Flavour and Fullness, not for a flow of sweetish flavourless steam. I regret I didn't buy some more Ennerdale or Coniston instead of this. Never again.

The tobacco itself isn't bad as in "bad". It's a cute and lovely little blend. A toy tobacco. Because it's so disappearingly weak in all departments I can't really imagine whom I could recommend this to besides the aforementioned seven-years-old girls. And since I'm against them to pick up the habit of pipe smoking, the only verdict left is: Not Recommended.

I put two stars because it's a Gawith and Hoggarth, not a Borkum Riff. No blends from Gawith and Hoggarts really deserve to get one-star-marks. Still, I don't recommend this. Don't waste money on toys, buy GH's Rum Flake or Kendal Flake instead.

Having enjoyed other popular G&H blends, I thought this was worth a try. It is.

Lakeland caveat: I have a feast / famine relationship with these blends. And I find them fussy, the amount of "perfume" seems to vary with moisture content. They take some work but there's something in these G&H products I like a lot when the mood strikes.

So Glengarry sounded like something I had to try: a Lakeland on the mildest side of the spectrum. That's an accurate description, there's just the faintest amount Lakeland aroma present, almost akin to smoking a straight Virginia in a Lakeland ghosted pipe. As far as the VA goes, it's pleasant, rich, and hits all the right notes. Although like some others have mentioned in this total combination of leaf and toppings it is a touch rough. Not horrendously so, but I did find myself reaching for the companion cup of tea / coffee more than normal.

In the end, this isn't bad at all. A little sweeter than a normal straight VA flake, with the faintest complement of Lakeland. Really, I wish I could get some of the other G&H products with the flower aroma this far dialed back. The VA is 85% great, the slight harshness is what keeps me from calling this an excellent mildly scented VA flake. As I experienced it, I say it straddles good / great, 2.5 stars.

What's the point...I found this blend very boring and bland. As always with G&H, the base tobacco is of a very high quality, but it's wasted here. When I'm in the mood for a Lakeland, I want to taste that lovely essence. When I'm in the mood for a straight Virginia, I want to taste the rich umami meatiness that Virginia tobacco provides. This blend gives you neither, it has enough essence to overpower the Virginia, but not enough to taste like a proper Lakeland! Not at all for me, the only use I can see, would be as a first Lakeland for those who are very apprehensive about them.

This has some great burning characteristics, but the strenght and scent of it are a bit much. I still smoke it 3-4 times a week because it is unique. Can't do it every day, but I still like it. It's Virginia with a medium/strong scent. Still quite good.

Pleasant room note and an easy smoker -- I didn't get any 'Lakeland' notes, just a light pleasantly (but not overwhelmly) sweet casing over some good Virginas, with the latter coming out in the last 1/3 of the bowl.

An interesting tobacco with some merit . The flavoring is the classic "soap" flavor . I'd have to be a soap enthusiast to be able to tell the difference in this flavoring and similar G&H soap flavors . Still , once lit the tobacco loses a lot of the soapiness , fading mostly into the background , and the VA flavors come to the front . I don't smoke heavily cased aromatics , but when I'm in the mood for something sweet this fits the bill . Aromatic smokers might find this "lightly flavored" .

G, H. & Co. Glengarry Flake, has a jar note that is floral, sweet, and has notes of hay. The smoke itself is somewhat Lakeland-forward, the floral notes of it are present from the start and stay with you through the entire smoke. The VA's have notes of fresh-cut grass and hay with citrus here and there, there is a sweetness present that only VA's can give. Behind this are notes of earth, wood, and just a hint of toasted wheat bread. The strength and nic are just touching medium. The taste is solidly at that level. The finish lingers just a little. The room note will not please anyone in the room with you. A nice middle-of-the-road Lakeland flake that should not put anyone off, unless you just hate Lakelands in general. A solid 3 stars and may well be repurchased.

2023 DEC 02
————————
This stuff is fantastic. I’m not sure why it isn’t rated higher. Perhaps because it’s only available in bulk? Don’t let discourage you as it did me. I had to wait until it was restocked somewhere that will sell it in small quantities. One bowl out of my 2oz bag and I wished I’d purchased 500g of this blend. Perhaps it’s rated lower due to being less complex than Ennerdale Flake. I don’t detect a lot of floral essence nor the soapiness often talked about in relation to Lakeland blends, but my palate is probably weird as I don’t detect licorice (which I dislike) in Rum Flake. Based one bowl, it is mild to me and deliciously sweet. It may replace Rum Flake as my go-to blend from Gawith Hoggarth & Co.

I love GH & Co. products. I love 'em. I've smoked a good amount of a good amount of their blends. For some reason I have not purchased this flake until now. Admittedly, I have not smoked a lot of this blend at this point, but I felt compelled to write my first review on this trusty website about this blend that I have neglected for years.
This one caught me unawares. Nice bag note- quality Virginias with a nice floral, familiar Lakeland smell.
The first several puffs there was a definite fruity taste that I could not put my finger on, so I pulled up this trusty website, and there it was- honeydew. YES! Honeydew. It tasted like a piece of honeydew dipped in pine sap and served on a mound of semi-wet hay.
Now, a normal human being might not be excited by a profile like this, but I gotta say it works for me.
I have found this to be one of the more unique flakes in an already unique portfolio. Not my favorite GH flake at this time, but a contender. A contender, indeed.
Moustache note:5/10